Partner
by amgehron
Summary: Companion piece to 'Pet'. Set after April and Raphael start dating, it will parallel the chapters of Pet for the most part, and include interactions with the other turtles.
1. Pond

A companion piece to 'Pet', set after April and Raphael start dating. The chapters will basically parallel each other, and include interactions with the other turtles. Please enjoy.

The sunset turned to pond a vibrant gold as the two lovers walked along the edge. The sounds of summer filled the air, setting a peaceful scene. April turned her head to the sky at the cry of a bird.

"You know, this is where I found you nearly twenty years ago." She told her partner. The large turtle looked down, playing with her hair. "I was afraid Dad wouldn't let me keep you, but by the time you healed enough to be let go, it was too cold. Then we moved to the city, and I ended up keeping you." A sad, faraway look came to her eyes. "Sometimes, when my Dad was at work, my Mother would leave me to go out with whatever guy she was seeing at the time. I was so scared those nights, but you would sit on my shoulder and nibble on whatever I was feeding you, and you made me feel safe." She looked up at him and smiled. "And you still keep me safe." Raphael just smiled at her, the one he gave her when they were alone, filled with warmth and love. Standing one her tip-toes, she gave him a soft kiss before looking back out at the pond.

"Is it safe to swim in?" Raph asked as he moved from her side to allow the small waves from the pond lap at his feet.

"It might be a bit cold, but yah, I used to all the time." April said, as she stripped off her top and shorts, a red one-piece under them. She walked into the water until it was up to her knees, then stopped. She shut her eyes and tipped her head back, enjoying the feeling to the slightly brisk water lapping at her legs.

"This is nice." April heard Raphael's voice rumble softly behind her. She turned her head to see him stripped of everything but his red shorts. She felt her chest tighten with emotion as he stood there like some ancient god, the sun bathing him in a soft golden glow, brilliant eyes even more pronounced. It took her breath away to see him like that.

"What's that look for?" He asked as he moved up to her, wrapping his large arms around her small body.

"You're so amazing, you know that?" She asked as she leaned into him. He smirked at her from above.

"Tell me something I don't know." He said smugly. April laughed as he leaned down and swept her off her feet. Then she caught the mischievous look in his eyes.

"Don't you dare!" She shrieked, as she tried to cling to him as he moved deeper into the water. He grin only got bigger as he found the spot he wanted and unceremoniously chucked her into the pond. When gave him her best death glare when she came to the surface.

"I'm going to get you for that!" She yelled at him, splashing at him. He returned it with his own splash.

"Let's see you try." He challenged her, his eyes bright with the prospect of a fight.

Almost an hour Leo found the two chasing each other in the water, splashing around, filling the air with shrieks of laughter. The oldest of the turtles walked up to the shore, smiling at the scene.

Raphael grabbed his girlfriend from behind, and spun her around as she laughed in delight, their faces lit up in warmth and love. It was something Leo would have never even thought the largest of them would ever look like.

"It's time for dinner you two!" He called out over the commotion the two were causing, laughing as they raced each other to the shoreline. In the distance, a Red-eared slider sat on a log, staring at the strange creatures who had interrupted his nap. Watching them walk away, he slid into the water to find his own food.


	2. Imagine Dragons

Donatello had to wonder how April had done it. At that point of time, he should be back at her farmhouse, trying to improve her internet connection so he could monitor the lair from out here, but the little reporter had convinced him out here with the promise of a picnic lunch and Pop-Tarts. His brothers were currently out looking for wood for a bonfire they had planned later that night, so it was just the two of them.

"That cloud looks like a dragon." April's voice interrupted Donnie's thoughts. Turning his head to look at her, the turtle raised an eye ridge. She was laying on her back, eyes looking up to the sky, one arm tucked beneath her head, the other pointing to a large cloud in the sky. He adjusted his glasses and looked to where she was pointing.

"Cumulus clouds." He answered, more or less to himself. "But I don't see a dragon." April laughed softly beside him and moved closer. The turtle tensed reactively when her skin brushed against his. He could smell his older brother on her, and the remnants of the reptilian instinct told him to back away from the other male's mate.

Logic, however, won out, knowing that Raphael knew that April was a very physical person and loved to touch and be touched by people she was close to. Relaxing, he frowned, and squinted at the cloud, trying to see what April saw. She took his hand and pointed to a part of the cloud.

"See there? It's her tail, but it was lopped off by another dragon." She began to explain, and moved his hand to another part of the cloud. "And there are her wings. She's a wind dragon, so they're bigger than her body." As April pointed out the rest of the creature, Donnie was starting to see what she saw, and even the coloring the creature had, pale yellow that turned to pink at her belly. As April moved onto the next cloud, Donnie relaxed more, and even began to participate in the activity, finding a turtle in one cloud.

It was something he didn't like admitting, being bad at something, but Donatello firmly based his thoughts in logic, rarely going off on what he sometimes believed as 'flights of fancy'. That was more his younger brother's thing, Even the older brothers had been into imaginary play as children, but even at a young age, Donnie had preferred his books. While in the end his family was extremely grateful for when he could create, it created a rift he could never quite cross with them.

"Thank you." He told her two hours later, after they bickered playfully over a particular cloud was a hippogriff or a rather ugly pony. She looked at him, face confused.

"For?" She asked, turning her body to face his. Donnie turned his head back to the sky as he noticed that the edges had started to turn the color of the dragon he had seen earlier.

"Sitting here with me like this. My brothers were never able to get me to see things like that. They tried, but I couldn't see what they saw." He answered her. She gave him a gentle smile and squeezed his hand.

"I understand." She replied. "My foster parents that took me in before my adopted mother took me in where both pretty smart people. The wife was an economics professor at Columbia University and the husband was a brain surgeon at New York-Presbyterian. They accepted that I wasn't scientifically-inclined, but I still felt left out sometimes." She laughed loudly. "I have trouble even doing minor things on my laptop. It kinda of sucks always running to you when I have problems with it."

"I could teach you." Donatello asked. "I mean, I can help you learn some simple troubleshooting if you want. Just connectivity errors and finding documents that disappeared, simple things." April gave him a hopeful but unsure look. He just smiled. "Maybe even get you in to some simple coding for websites and such, just something fun." He half-expected her to reject his offer, but thought he should at least try.

"If- if you're okay with that, I would love it." She finally answered. "I have to warn you, can be a bit slow when it comes to some things." Donnie just laughed.

"If I can teach Mikey some of that stuff, I'm sure you'll be fine."


	3. Moving

"I'm not too sure about this apartment." Leonardo muttered as they went over the list April was showing the turtle. After Taylor had left, April had been unable to keep her apartment where she was and had to downsize to a smaller place. It still being New York, however, all the places she could afford where firmly in 'not-turtle-approved' territory. Or at least 'not-paranoid-turtle-approved' territory.

"It's the closest to the Lair entrance, but still a reasonable distance from my work, and affordable, what's wrong with it?" April asked the blue turtle. He frowned, and pointed to a few places around the map.

"These areas are known for drug trafficking." He said, quiet blue eyes worried. "I understand you want to be near us, but I don't want you to compromise your safety for that."

"Considering my job isn't exactly stable right now, I can't afford something that you have approved." April replied, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her eyes. Leo's shoulders drooped and a look of shame came to his face.

"I must apologize for that. I did not mean for you to get in trouble at your job when you covered for us after the Sachs incident." April just waved it off.

"You guys are family. I'd do anything for you guys." Rolling her shoulders, she looked back the leader. "Worse comes to worse, I can just move into the farmhouse and take up a DJ job at the local radio station. One of the guys there said there'd always be a job for me there."

"You could if you wanted to." Leo answered, looking to the other side of the room, where the sounds coming from outside the door signaled the return of Mikey and Raph. "You know he would follow you anywhere you went."

"It's tempting, but I don't want to tear you guys apart just yet. The Foot have become more active than ever, and I know all of you are needed to get rid of the Shredder once and for all." She smiled warmly as she seemed to be lost in a daydream. "Maybe after all this craziness is over with we can discuss it. It would be nice. It's out in the woods, only people who want to go there find their way there, so you guys would have the run of the place. I own it, so there's no mortgage, just the property taxes every year."

"If we could go out there, I think it'd just be Raphael, Master Splinter, and I." Leonardo laughed. "Remember the last time we were there? Don and Mike nearly went insane."

"You mean Mikey isn't already insane?" Raph joked as he walked in the door. The mentioned turtle stuck his tongue out at his older brother. Raphael just gave the youngest a playful shove and walked up to where April and Leo was sitting. "Any luck?" The eldest frowned.

"Nothing I like." Leonardo replied, frowning. "I just don't like the idea of her being alone in those areas." Raph glanced over at April and cleared his throat.

"About that Leo, We…Uhhh..." Raph rubbed the back of his head, breaking eye contact with his brother. "We were kinda thinking that I could move in with her." Leo looked stunned for a long minute, then found his voice.

"How long have you been together again?" Leo managed to get out. April reached over to Raphael and took the large terrapin's hand.

"Just over year." She replied, smiling up at him. Raphael returned it, and squeezed her hand. Leaning back in his chair, Leo rubbed his temples, then spoke.

"Can I talk to Raph alone?" He asked the other two, who just agreed and moved to the kitchen. There was a long moment of silence, and then motioned for his brother to sit. As the red ninja sat into the chair April had previously occupied, Leo gave his brother an odd look. "So it's that serious?"

"It is." Raph answered, meeting his older brother's gaze unwaveringly. "We've been talking about a bunch of stuff recently, were we want to be later on down the road, and I know that I want her in my life. I want you guys too, and maybe…" He dropped his gaze, blushing softly.

"Maybe what?" Leonardo gently questioned.

"Maybe me and April can find some way to have a family of our own." Came the soft reply. One part of Leo wanted to be shocked, it really did, but his own words came back to him.

 _He would follow you anywhere you went._

"Okay." Leonardo said after a long minute. "I'll give the place my go ahead as long as you're with her. You have to discuss this with Master Splinter first." Raphael broke into a grin.

"Thanks Leo." He said, and gave his older brother an uncharacteristic hug. Leo returned it, smiling.

"You'd think that Master Splinter had already approved this idea." The eldest brother said, giving Rapha a playful push as he stood up. Raphael's grin only got bigger.

"Who do you think suggested it?"


	4. Fight

Mike was climbing up April's fire escape for a late night visit when he paused right below her window. He could hear voices coming from her apartment, but it wasn't friendly ones.

"How the hell did you find out where I live?" He heard April snap, a soft growl in her voice. Frowning, Mike moved so he could see April, but no one could see him unless they leaned out the window.

"I'm a Weatherford Dear, I can find out anything." An older woman said primly. A tall blonde, the woman could be described as 'stunning'- if not for the sinking feeling he got just watching her. Something about her was just _off._

"Don't make me call the cops." His friend threatened, clinging to her phone. "I want you to leave. Now." The woman sniffed.

"Is that anyway to talk to your mother?" She said, eyes cold. April gave a short laugh.

"You haven't been my mother since the day you ditched me after Dad died, hell you were barely a mother before then." April took a step forward. "I'll give you five seconds to state your business, then I expect you to get the hell out of my life." There was a dramatic sigh from her mother.

"I have come to inform you that I have found a suitor who has no problem taking on a woman of your- lack of qualities." She replied primly. Mike bite back a growl, fingers going to his nunchaku. April's 'Mother' was giving him bad vibes all over- something he only had gotten with the Shredder.

"I want you out _NOW._ " His friend said in a tone he had never heard her use before. "I don't want whatever little boy-toy you're done with and want to pass on to me. I'm seeing someone." The other woman scoffed.

"You should have been seeing that Vern guy." She sniped. "I hear you're after a cop though." Mike was confused for a second and then remembered: Casey and April were in a cover-up relationship to protect Raph and Leo. "But I guess you got your father's choices in partners." She turned away. "But don't come crawling to me when some punk shoots him in the back." And she was gone.

April snarled, slamming the door shut. Mike slipped in through the window. He was quiet for a bit, letting her slam things around and curse under her breath until she collapsed onto the couch.

"Ace?" He asked quietly, sitting next to her. "You okay?" She curled around him, and he held her while he felt her shoulders shake. They all knew her history with the faceless woman she would often refer to as 'egg donor'. The cheating, her sending a letter mere hours after April had lost her father stating she gave up all parental rights. Her going back on it three years later and leaving April into the hands of a man who wanted her as something more than a daughter. April running before he could do anything, living on the streets for a month before she was tossed back into the system. Her mother refusing to believe what the man tried to do.

Mike sent off a text to Raph, knowing he'd get there as soon as his patrol was done. He would be another hour or so, but Raph would know what had happened at least.

"Let's bake something." He suggested, tugging her up. April nodded quietly, allowing him to take her to the kitchen. April managed a smile and followed him.

When Raph came in a few minutes later, April and Mikey where in an argument over what to make.  
"Raph!" April smiled as she saw him. "Maybe you can help us. I want to make chocolate chip with walnuts and Mike want to go all-out with sugar cookies. What do you want?" Raph smiled at her better mood.

"Why not both of them?" Raph asked. "We've been cleared from training tomorrow and I know you don't have work."

"That sounds good." April laughed, agreeing. Mike whooped, and dove into the cabinets for her cookie cutters. Three hours later, the three where laughing and joking as they decorated the cookies, April's fight completely forgotten.


End file.
